Agatha Christie & the English Riviera

The beautiful natural harbour of Torbay has been utilised for millennia, the earliest traces of settlement here dating back to Paleolithic times. For centuries, Torquay’s economy was based predominantly on fishing and agriculture but in the early 19th century Torbay became a fashionable watering spot partly because of the Napoleonic Wars which put a temporary stop to continental holidays – something that resonates with all of us now! Naval officers and their wives were stationed here and in 1815,following his defeat at the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon paid a brief visit as a prisoner on HMS Bellerophon. We are based at the Grand Hotel situated at the western end of the seafront overlooking Corbyn beach (once a medieval harbour). The hotel is an historical institution having welcomed visitors for over a century, not to mention the RAF when it was requisitioned during World War II. It has a special connection to Agatha Christie because this is where she spent her first night of married life, Christmas Eve 1914. There is free parking on the street outside the hotel and in the train station opposite. The hotel also has a garage attached to the hotel which can be booked for £10 per space, per night.

The beautiful natural harbour of Torbay has been utilised for millennia, the earliest traces of settlement here dating back to Paleolithic times. For centuries, Torquay’s economy was based predominantly on fishing and agriculture but in the early 19th century Torbay became a fashionable watering spot partly because of the Napoleonic Wars which put a temporary stop to continental holidays – something that resonates with all of us now! Naval officers and their wives were stationed here and in 1815,following his defeat at the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon paid a brief visit as a prisoner on HMS Bellerophon. We are based at the Grand Hotel situated at the western end of the seafront overlooking Corbyn beach (once a medieval harbour). The hotel is an historical institution having welcomed visitors for over a century, not to mention the RAF when it was requisitioned during World War II. It has a special connection to Agatha Christie because this is where she spent her first night of married life, Christmas Eve 1914. There is free parking on the street outside the hotel and in the train station opposite. The hotel also has a garage attached to the hotel which can be booked for £10 per space, per night.